What does strath mean? Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Strath(noun) a valley of considerable size, through which a river runs; a valley bottom; -- often used in composition with the name of the river; as, Strath Spey, Strathdon, Strathmore Origin: [Gael. srath.] Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Strath A strath is a large valley, typically a river valley that is wide and shallow. An anglicisation of the Gaelic word srath, it is one of many that have been absorbed into common use in the English language. It is commonly used in rural Scotland to describe a wide valley, even by non-Gaelic speakers. It occurs in numerous Scottish place names, Strath-Taieri in New Zealand, Strathfield, a suburb of Sydney, Australia, Strathewen, Victoria, Australia, Strathmore, Alberta and various places in Canada named Strathcona.

It also occurs in the names of five Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company liners, four of which, the Strathhaird, the Strathnaver, the Stratheden and the Strathmore brought thousands of migrants to Australia between the 1950s and the 1960s. The ships acted as troop carriers during the Second World War and the fifth ship, the Strathallan, sank in the Mediterranean in 1942 taking troops to the landings in North Africa. The word is related to Old Welsh Ystrad, as in Ystrad Clud, the Old Welsh name for the Kingdom of Strathclyde. In Keith there is a distillery producing the Strathisla whisky. It is a single malt whisky that is also an ingredient to the blend Chivas Regal. Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Strath strath, n. in Scotland, an extensive valley through which a river runs. [Gael. srath, a valley—L.

strata, a street.] Numerology The numerical value of strath in Chaldean Numerology is: 1 Pythagorean Numerology Strath | Define Strath at Dictionary.com strath [strath; Scot. strahth] /stræθ; Scot. strɑθ/ Spell 1530-40; < Irish, Scots Gaelic srath; akin to stratum Dictionary.com Unabridged Examples from the Web for strath Expand Historical Examples They were no sooner come into strath than they met two of MacKinnon's men who had been out in the expedition. Gairloch In North-West Ross-Shire John H. Dixon, F.S.A. Scot This individual was born in the parish of strath, Isle of Skye, in the year 1762. Gairloch In North-West Ross-Shire John H. Dixon, F.S.A. Scot In this, as in other Welsh and Gaelic names, the word strath is a prefix to the name of the adjoining river.

British Dictionary definitions for strath Expand (Scot) a broad flat river valley Word Origin C16: from Scot and Irish Gaelic srath, Welsh ystrad Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Word Origin and History for strath Expand n. "wide river valley between hills," 1530s, from Scottish, from Old Irish srath "wide river valley," from Old Celtic *s(t)rato-, from PIE root *stere- "to spread, extend, stretch out" (see structure (n.)). Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper Strath : definition of Strath and synonyms of Strath (English) This article does not cite any references or sources . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed .

(December 2009) A strath is a large valley , typically a river valley that is wide and shallow (as opposed to a glen which is typically narrower and deep). An anglicisation of the Gaelic word srath, it is one of many that have been absorbed into common use in the English language . It is commonly used in rural Scotland to describe a wide valley, even by non-Gaelic speakers. It occurs in numerous Scottish place names (such as Strathspey and Strathclyde ), Strath-Taieri in New Zealand , Strathfield , a suburb of Sydney, Australia, Strathewen, Victoria , Australia, Strathmore, Alberta and various places in Canada named Strathcona . It also occurs in the names of four Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company liners that brought thousands of migrants to Australia between the 1950s and the 1960s: the Strathhaird, the Strathnaver, the Stratheden and the Strathmore. The ships also acted as troop carriers during the Second World War .

The word is related to Old Welsh Ystrad, as in Ystrad Clud, the Old Welsh name for the Kingdom of Strathclyde . In Keith there is a distillery producing the Strathisla whisky. It is a single malt whisky that is also an ingredient to the blend Chivas Regal . See also Meanings of Gaelic Words Commonly Seen in Hill Names | Cambridge University Hillwalking Club Meanings of Gaelic Words Commonly Seen in Hill Names Author: Mark Jackson Gaelic has many names for hills. Beinn (bheinn, ben, ven, vain) is the place to start, used as a generic name for hills, particularly big ones. There are many fine distinctions. Regarding rock; Càrn (càirn, chàrn, chàirn, chùirn), means a heap of stones or, by extension, a stony hill; similar is creachan, whereas creag (craig, chreag, creige) is the same as the English “crag”, i.e. rockface. Cruach (cruaiche) “stack” is often used for an upthrust of rock, as are tòrr and cleit.

A sgùrr (sgòr, sgòrr depending on region), is a jagged peak, and stob means a small top, point or peak. Also used to denote sharp peaks and pinnacles are stùc (stùchd) and its variant stac; bidean (bidein, bidhein), and its variant spidean; rarely biod (bioda); and binnean (binnein), an especially conical peak. Meall (mheall, mill, mhill), is very common, describing a bare rounded lumpy hill. Similar is maol (maoile), meaning “bald head”, and ceann (chean, cinn, chinn), a head, is also used. Mullach just means summit. A ridge is most commonly druim (droma), but can also be aonach, a high ridge, leathad (leathaid), a broad ridge, leitir (leitire), a long ridge, or gualann, a broad shoulder, or imir (iomair).

The end of one may be called socach (socaich), a snout, or sròn (sròine), a nose. A barrow-shaped hill may be called sìdhean (sìdh, sìthean, sìthein, sìdhein), a peculiarly Scottish term meaning hill where the fairies live! An àrd (àird) is a height or promontory, often near the sea. A high upland may be bràigh (bhràigh, brae) or monadh, or if particularly mossy/boggy, mòine, or worst of all leana “meadow, swampy plain”. Frìthe means heath or moor, also hunting forest; similar is fireach, high barren ground. The name bruach means edge. A small rounded hillock can be called cnoc (chnoc, chnuic), but also bàrr, cnap, òrd (ùird), tulach (tulaich, tulaichean) or tom – or even guirean, pimple! If it has a hill fort, or looks like one, it will certainly end up as dùn.

A hill, large or small, that bears a resemblance to a woman’s breast may well be named as such; màm (mhàim) or cìoch (cìche). Other picturesque names for hills include cabar, a horn, sàil, a heel, teallach, a forge, sgiath, a wing, suidhe or cathair (cathrach), a seat, and caisteal (caisteil, chaisteil), a castle, all of which allow you to imagine the shape of the hill pretty well. Hills have been likened to people; thus bodach (old man, chancellor), buachaille (shepherd) and cailleach (chailleach, caillich) (old woman) are all used. Adding –each or –anach to an adjective gives the meaning of “that place”; thus a hill may be called coinneach, mossy place, buidheanach, yellow place, etc. But hills aren’t usually given just one name, and nine times out of ten a qualifier is added, denoting colour, position, shape, etc.

Let’s start with colour; dubh (dhubh, duibh, dhuibh, duibhe, dubha) means black, whereas white is bàn (bhàn, bhàin), with fionn and geal both also meaning white, pale. Dearg (dhearg, deirg, dheirg) is more common than ruadh (ruaidh), with both meaning red; odhar (odhair) and donn mean brown or dun. Turning the colour wheel, buidhe (bhuidhe) means yellow and òr (òir) gold; uaine is bright green, and gorm (ghorm) is blue. There’s so much sea in Scotland that it has its own colour; glas (ghlas, ghlais) meaning greenish-grey. Also lìath (lèith) is grey or blue-grey. Finally, breac (bhreac) meaning “speckled, spotted” and riabhach (riabhaich) “brindled, greyish-brown” best fall into this category.

For size; we have mòr (mhòr, mhòir, more) to mean great, and beag (bheag, bhig, beg) to mean small. Meadhoin (meadhain, mheadhoin, mheadhain, meadhonach, meadhanach, mheadhonach, mheadhanach, vane – yes, really!) means “middle”, in size or position. A hill can be fada (fhada) “long” or geàrr “short”; its shape can be leathan (leathainn) “broad”, reamhar “fat”, or caol or cumhann (chumhann) both meaning “narrow”, or cam (caim) or crom, “crooked”. Cùl (cùil) means “back” whereas tarsuinn (tharsuinn) means transverse or crosswise. If the hill’s in an exposed position it might get fuar (fhuar) “cold”, or windy – gaoth (gaoithe) means wind and gaothach windy. It might hold snow – sneachd (sneachda).

Conversely, it might end up as a grianan – a sunny drying place for peat or manure. The texture of a hill is often garbh (gharbh, ghairbh) “rough”, eagach “notched”, fiaclach “toothed” or creagach (chreagaich) “craggy”, or at the other end of the scale còinnich (chòinnich) “mossy, boggy”. It could also be slabby – leacach, since the word for slab is leac; or stony, càrnach (càrnaich) being stony ground; or gaineamhach (gainmheich), sandy. Or the hill could just be steep; corrach, or caise (chaise) means steepness. Among geographical features that find their way into hill names, the most popular by far is coire (choire, coir’; plural coirean, coirein, coireachan), a glacial hollow, corrie or combe. All corries have a mouth – beul (beòil, bheòil).

A bealach (bhealaich) or màm (mhàim) is a pass or col, with eag denoting a narrow gap or notch, breabag a cleft, dìollaid a wide saddle and lairig a low travellers’ pass. Gleann (ghleann, ghlinn, ghlinne, glen) means valley, with sràth (strath) a wider, fertile one. Rock features include clach (cloich, cloiche), a rock or stone, hence clachaig, rocky; a hole, hollow, or pit may be a toll (tuill) or glac (glaic) if narrow. A gorge or ravine can be called clais (claise), a geodha is more of a chasm, while its reverse – a tooth or pinnacle – is a fiacail (fiaclan). A cave will be uamha (uamh) or lag (lagan).

A river – abhainn (aibhne) or uisge, literally “water” – will be fed by streams – allt (uillt) – fed by streamlets – dorain or feadan (fheadan) – in turn issuing from springs – fuaran (fhuaran, fhuarain). It may go over a waterfall – eas or steall – called easain if it’s only a small plunge – or became a marsh or bog – fèith or lòn (lòin) – before reaching a lochan (lochain), a tarn, which is of course a small loch, a lake or arm of the sea. The river could well be loud – labhar (labhair). A bay is lùib or òb, and a small pool or pit is poll (puill) or sloc (sluic). A tairbeart (tairbeirt) is a narrow crossing between two lochs. Also eilean (eilein) means island. Or a hill may be named after an animal or plant!

So it’s worth knowing each (eich), a horse, gabhar (gobhar, ghabhar, gaibhre), a goat, muc (muice), a pig, torc (tuirc), a boar, and caora (caorach), a sheep. The generic word for cow is bò (bà), but crodh (cruidh) and sprèidh (sprèidhe) are also used for cattle, with tarbh (tairbh) a bull, aighe (aighean, aighenan) a heifer and laogh (laoigh) a calf. A damh (daimh, diamh) is a stag and a boc (buic, bhuic) a buck – both likely to indulge in roaring and rutting, bhuirich (bhuiridh) – whereas eilid (eilde) is used for hinds, fiadh (fèidh) for deer in general, and earb (earba) for roe deer.

Then there’s madadh (mhadaidh), a dog, wolf or fox; more specifically cù (con, coin) means dog and sionnach (shionnach) means fox. Finally, nathair (nathrach) means snake, and beithir (bheithir, beathrach) wild beast in general. A hill could be named for any one of these, or their den – saobhaidh (saobhaidhe). Now eun (eòin) means bird; fithich (fhithich) raven, iolaire eagle, and cabhair hawk are the species most likely to have crags named after them or their nests – nead (nid), but there’s also coileach (coilich), cock, and cearc (circe), hen.

With plants, craobh (craoibh) is the generic word for tree, but also useful are caorann (chaorainn), rowan; beith (beithe, bheithe), birch; feàrna (fheàrna), alder; iubhar (iubhair), yew; giubhas (giuthas, giubhais, giuthais), fir; raineach (rainich), bracken; and fraoch (fraoich), heather. A wood or grove may be a coille (choille) or a doire (dhoire), with a smaller thicket a bad (bhaid). A farm – baile – contains low pastures, dail, and meadows, cluain. A field or enclosure can variously be an achadh (achaidh), todhar (todhair) or goirtean (goirtein), with garadh a den or walled enclosure. A byre or cowshed is a bàthach (bàthaich), a cuidhe or fasgadh a pen, fold or enclosure.

An airigh (airighe) or ruighe is a shieling – a summer shepherds’ hut. The grain is kept in a sabhal (sobhal, sabhail, sodhail). Then there’s taigh (tigh) house, eaglais church and drochaid (drochaide) bridge – any of which might be old, sean (seann, seana). And any village has a boundary – crìoch (crìche). A hill might also get named after a famous soldier – saighdear (saighdeir) or priest – sagairt – or just a man – duine or fear (fhir)! Finally, prepare for the odd personal name, such as Dònuill (Dhònuill, Dhomhnuill), Donald, the word mac (mhic) meaning “son of”, and numbers such as dà, two, and trì, three. The compass directions are tuath, north, ear, east, deas, south, and iar, west. Parliamo Scots?

Places Nether - lower of two places or roads Strath - a river valley, broad and flat Wynd - an alley or lane Many Gaelic and other ancient language words have become assimilated into place names in Scotland. Here are a few which crop up quite frequently because they relate to land features. "Aber" or "Inver" - the mouth of a river as in Aberdeen (mouth of the Dee) and Inverness. It can also mean the confluence of two rivers as in Aberfoyle and Aberlour (meaning loud confluence). "Ard" - high, as in Ardrossan (the height of the little cape). "Auchter" - high ground, from the Gaelic "air uachdair" which means "on top of". Auchtermuchty is "high ground of the pig-rearing" and Auchterarder is the "upland of the high stream".

"Bal" - in Gaelic the word "baile" means a town or a village so it crops up in the names for many such places including Balnagowan (village of the blacksmiths), Balquhidder (fodder village) and Balmore (big village - which it is not!) and Balmoral. "Blair" - from the Gaelic "blar" for a moor or open space although it also means "battle" since any piece of open ground could be used for a fight. Examples are Blairgowrie (plain of the goat) and Blair Atholl. "Cairn" - a heap of stones. You can't get a bigger heap of stones in Scotland than the Cairngorm mountain range but there are also places such as Cairnholy (chambered cairns) and Cairnryan at the side of Loch Ryan. "Cambus" - is a bay or a creek as in Cambuslang and Cambusnethan. "Car" - means a rock as in Carfin (white rock), Carluke (rock by a hollow) and Carrick (sea rock or cliff).

"Clack" or "Cloch" are both variations on the Gaelic word "clach" meaning "stone" and can be found in place names such as Clackmannan (stone of the mythical figure Manau) and Clachnacuddin (stone of the tubs, where the women rested their containers of water after filling them at the river). "Craig" is from "creag" meaning a rock as in Craigievar (pointed rock), Craigellachie (crag of the rocky place and the Clan Grant rallying cry), Craiglockhart (rock of the encampment) and Kincraig (head of the crag). "Dun" - a type of small iron age fort or a fortified dwelling, as in Dundee or Dunbar. It sometimes becomes " Dum" as in Dumfries and Dumbarton. "Eilean" - an island, Eilean Donan being the most well known. "Gair" is from the Gaelic word "gearr" meaning short and is used in places such as Gair Loch (short loch) and Girvan (short river).

"Gart" - there are a number of possible origins of this word - Old Norse ("gardr") Brittonic ("garth") and Gaelic ("garradh") - meaning some kind of enclosure. Many of the placenames incorporating "gart" are found around Glasgow such as Gartcosh (foot of the yard) and Gartnavel (apple yard). "Glas" - green as in Glasgow, the dear green place. "Inch" - is from "innis" meaning island. Inchcolm is the island of Colm (Columba) and Inchinnan is the island of Finnan. Perth is sometimes called the smallest city in the world because it is built between two inches - the North Inch and the South Inch on the river Tay. "Inver" means the mouth of a river as in Inverness (mouth of the Ness, from "nesta" meaning "roaring or rushing one") and Inveraray (mouth of the river Aray). It can also mean the confluence of two rivers as in Innerleithen (rivers Leithen and Tweed).

"Ken" and "Kin" - derived from the Gaelic word "ceanin" meaning head and found in such places as Kenmore (big headland) Kinlochleven (head of Loch Leven) and Kinbuck (buck's head). "Kil" - from "cill" meaning church as in Kilbarchan (church of St Barchan), East Kilbride (church of St Bride) and Kilmacolm (church of Colm or Columba). "Kin" - end or head as in Kingussie or Kinlochleven (head of Loch Leven). "Kip" - a jutting or projecting point of a hill, the peak. Inverkip has both a hill and a river mouth! "Kirk" - a church as Kirkintilloch, Kirkcaldy or Kirkwall. It is derived from the old Norse word "kirkja" (and/or the German word "kirch"). "Kyle" - is from the Gaelic word "caol" meaning slender or thin and is often applied to narrow stretches of water such as the Kyles of Bute and the Kyle of Lochalsh.

But Kyle in Ayrshire (the area in which Robert Burns was born) is said to be named after King Coel (yes, the Old King Cole who was a merry old soul in the nursery rhyme). "Loch" - the Gaelic and now Scottish word for a lake (the only lake in Scotland is the Lake of Menteith near Aberfoyle, and that may have been a cartographic error copying "lairg" meaning low lying ground). In addition to bodies of water, there are places like Lochaber (still, stagnant lake) and Lochgelly (clear lake). "Mor" - again from the Gaelic, this time meaning "big" such as Ben More (the big hill) and Morven (the big glen). "Pit" - there are over 300 place names in Scotland beginning with these three letters, particularly in areas previously occupied by the Picts - such as Pitlochry. Scholars believe that it is derived from a word meaning "a part" or "a share". Here are some special places... "Back court" - the area behind a tenement building shared by all the residents. This was where the washing was hung out to dry.

"Bothy" - originally a building on a farm providing accommodation for unmarried farm workers. Today it is used to describe a hut or cabin used by workers on a building site can shelter from bad weather. This use has been extended to huts or cottages used by hillwalkers for shelter or sleeping overnight. "Buroo" - the office at which the those out of work sign on for their unemployment benefit. To be "on the burroo" is to be unemployed. It is derived from "Employment Bureau" the old name for a Jobcentre. "But-an-ben" - an old-fashioned rural cottage of two rooms, usually a kitchen and combined living room/bedroom. Made famous by Sir Harry Lauder "I've a wee wifie waitin, in a wee but-and-ben" "Howff" - a regular meeting place, usually a pub, where friends gather. Derived from a Dutch/Flemish word "hof" which is a courtyard or enclosed space. "Midden" - the area at the back of a tenement where the communal dustbins and refuse were kept. "Single end" - in a tenement or block of flats, the single-end was one room only, without even an inside toilet.

Return to the Index of Parliamo Scots? Where else would you like to go in Scotland? Links Pages Dorothy Dunnett - Pronunciation Pronunciation FanFic Scots Pronunciation and Meanings For those of you not born in Scotland the correct pronunciation of some of our words and the understanding of what they mean may be a bit confusing. Scotland has been the scene of numerous mixings of various races and they have all contributed to the names and phrases that now appear in our language. This is a short guide to many of those that appear in the various Dunnett books along with a few others of general interest. Drop me a message if there are any others that you'd like to see included. Personal Names Most of the personal names are fairly obvious, but the following sometimes cause uncertainty Scots Buccleuch Although I have always pronounced this buch-loo (ch as in loch or Bach), Dorothy told me that the Duke himself pronounces it as buck-loo. In fact the derivation of the place-name is from buck-cleugh - meaning deer ravine - so it could be argued that we're both wrong! Culter cool-ter.

In Lanarkshire it is often spoken with a silent L so it becomes coo-ter Lymond Meanings and/or Origins Abernethy Archie's name is from a placename. As explained below Aber is Brithonic and means meeting of the waters. The river Nethy is from the Gaelic neitheach which perhaps appropriately for Archie mean the pure one. Culter From the Gaelic cul tir meaning back land, although Dorothy tells me that this really refers to the placename and that the family name tends to refer to the pun-meaning of plowshare, which appears in coats of arms for instance. It is also variously spelled Coultar and Coulter. A Richard of Culter is recorded as being sheriff of Lanark in 1226. Crawford Comes from the village and barony of Crawford in upper Clydesdale. (The village is near the source of the Clyde at Elvanfoot). It was originally crau ford - literally ford of the crows. The Earls of Crawford, whose family name was Lindsay, were an important family in the west of Scotland. Egidia/Gelis Related to the name Giles (as in St.

Giles) which comes from the Greek Aegidius. Giles appears to have been used for both sexes but Egidia is a feminine form mainly found in Scotland. This was apparently a book form of the name. The female form eventually became transformed to Julia or Juliana, while in Gaelic (which has no J) the name became sileas in the masculine and silis in the feminine. While I haven't yet seen Gelis mentioned in modern references, Dorothy tells me that it was common in the 15th century. Semple Originally the family was St. Pol from France/Brittany and the early records use the spelling Sempill, (those who have returned to France have reverted to the St. Pol version) and they were based in the area around Loch Winnoch which was later re-named Castle Semple Loch leaving the original name to the village of Lochwinnoch. The village was once a bleaching and weaving centre. It retains only the gable and belfry of St Winnoc's Church, also known as Auld Simon! Semples held the nearby Elliston (or Elziotstoun) lands, where there is a ruin of a 15th c.

castle, as early as the 13th c. and built the Peel around 1550 - a low tower on what was then an island, and a Collegiate Church built in 1504. Lord Sempill who was killed at Flodden was buried there. Sir James Sempill of Beltrees 1566-1625 was a courtier and satirist who owed his career to James VI. His mother was Mary Livingstone - one of Mary QoS's four Mary's - and his father was Sir John Sempill. Castle Semple has now completely disappeared, and its successor, the 18th c. Castle Semple House, has only the west gate and a folly remaining. The Semples sold out to the MacDowalls in 1727. Place Names in Scotland lough leave-en Meanings and Derivations Place names in Scotland are made up of elements from a number of different languages - Gaelic, Norse, Brithonic, Scots and Anglian. Gaelic names are common over much of the country with Norse being often seen in the north and west.

Brithonic is seen in the south-west and in the north-east areas, often where the Picts were found, while Scots and Anglian are seen in the Lothians and Borders which were under Northumbrian control until the formation of the territory we know as Scotland in the 11th century. Particularly with Gaelic the names are often very descriptive of the local terrain, a fact which makes the study of that language a particular help to hill-walkers and climbers. Aber A Brittonic word usually used as a prefix, meaning "meeting of the waters", so in general it should mean the same in Scotland as in Wales. It never moved into the Gaelic language where the equivalent word is Inver and it generally only occurs in the Pictish areas. Abernethy is the meeting of the waters of the Nethy - see above. The most famous Aber - Aberdeen - is not a simple example however as it was originally made up of two settlements with similar names, at least one of which had a Gaelic suffix. Bal from Gaelic baile meaning town or village. Lag Gaelic for hollow, lagan is the diminutive.

So the home of Dandy Hunter - Ballaggan - is "town of the little hollow". Dun A gaelic word or prefix meaning a hill or mound and also a fort or castle. It is seen in names such as Dunkeld - fort of the Caledonians, Dunblane, Dundee, and in modified form it appears as Dum, as in Dumbarton - "the hill-fort of the Britons". The old gaelic name for Edinburgh was Dun Eideann (which became Dunedin in New Zealand). However Edinburgh is a very complex name and scholars don't all agree about it. ey is a Norse suffix which comes from Ey meaning Island. It has often been converted to ay in many island names. Examples are Scalpay - "boat-shaped isle", Berneray - "Bjorn's Isle", and Pabay (papey) - "Priest's Isle". Firth as in Firth of Forth or Pentland Firth, is related to the Norwegian fjord, both being from the Norse. gate is a Scots word meaning road or walk (old form gait), so Canongate is the priests or clerics road.

The best known of this name is the road that ran between the Old Edinburgh city walls and the Abbey of Holyrood and which is still there today as the lower part of the Royal Mile. Hawick is an anglo-saxon term meaning hedge settlement. Inch is an island from the Gaelic innis. Inchcolm (one of a group of Inches in the Firth of Forth) is Island of Columba Inver From the gaelic inbhir, "at the mouth of" and therefore usually associated with a river name such as with Inverness or Inverlochy. Kil As in Kilmartin, comes from the Gaelic cille meaning cell, as in a monastic cell. It is therefore often found associated with the names of Saints or with churches. Kilwinning is named after St. Wynnin - a rather obscure saint who was either 6th or 8th c. and either Scottish or Irish Kin As in Kinlochleven, is from the Gaelic ceann, meaning the head, thus "at the head of Loch Leven".

Kinneil near Linlithgow means "at the head (or end) of the wall" (The Antonine Wall) Kyle comes from the Gaelic caol, meaning narrow, so Kyle of Lochalsh is the "narrows or straits of Loch Alsh", while Kyleakin is the "straits of Hakon" - the Norse ruler defeated at the battle of Largs Loch is the Gaelic equivalent of lake. There is one lake in Scotland - the Lake of Menteith where Lymond meets the young child Mary. However this appears to come from Laigh of Menteith - laigh is an area of low-lying ground. Lumphanan The place where Thorfinn was killed means St Finan's Field. Mull As in Mull of Kintyre or Mull of Galloway, comes from the norse word muli meaning headland, which passed into Gaelic as maol. The word also means bare, and it appears as far south as the Borders in names such as Melrose (scene of Will Scott's wedding) which means bare-moor, though that is hardly a fair description of this attractive town.

Ness nes is a norse word meaning cape, point, or headland, and is very common in the north and in Orkney. Apparently of Germanic origin it also arrived via the English naes which means essentially the same thing. In King Hereafter we find Caithness - Cape of the Cataibh or cat-men (a pictish tribe name), and Stenness - Stone Cape. The Orkney town of Stromness is straumr-nes - cape in the current. Adorne's Blackness is self-explanatory. ster A suffix used in Orkney and Shetland which comes from a contraction of the old Norse word bolstadr. bol is a share and stadr is a stead or a farm. Thus Kirkbister is "Church farm". Strath comes from the Gaelic srath, meaning a broad valley. Strathmore - great valley, Strathspey - valley of the River Spey. Tantallon comes from the Brittonic din talgwin - high frontier fort Tra or Tref mean hamlet or village. From these come Threve which simply means a village and Traquair which is hamlet on the river Quair.

ton ton is an English Anglo-Saxon suffix which means homestead or farmstead. It often becomes toun in Scots, and both apply to a much smaller place than we would think of as a modern town. It is often combined with other descriptive words to form such names as millton, kirkton, castleton, but can also be joined to the names of landowners or the names of particular trades. Symington is Simon's stead. Broughton means "farm beside the brook". Yarrow The valley involved with the chase after the sheep-in-helmets means rough or turbulent water and comes from an old Gaelic word garu which is the basis for the Scots Gaelic garbh which appears often in mountain names and the water related garry, and also the English yar. Anyone interested in further study of this subject may find the following book of help to them. Scotland's Place Names: Expanded Edition David Dorward Published by Mercat Press, 1995 pbk, 1873644507 £9.99 This site is designed, written, and maintained by Bill Marshall .

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Question: What does the prefix strath mean in such Scottish names as Strathclyde
Answer: Valley